Can you believe we are already in week four of our Irresistible series? Time flies when you’re having fun. Oh boy, we are having so much fun. I will say, this next passage is a tough one. This week in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 we talk about what happens after we die.

13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

Death can be a very scary subject. With God, it doesn't have to be scary.

In this passage, we talk about what happens when we die and why Jesus gives us hope in what is to come.

The Point is….JESUS IS COMING BACK!

What does that mean for us as believers, that is, those who believe in what Jesus did and give their life to Him? It means that we can see our loved ones again. It means that our brothers and sisters in Christ will be with us in Heaven. It means that, despite our sins, we can spend eternity with Jesus. Above all, it means that we can have hope in the midst of sadness.

It doesn't mean that we won’t still be sad when loved ones pass. It also doesn't mean that being sad is a bad thing or that we won’t still be scared or confused sometimes. However, we can trust that Jesus is with us and will be with us always.

How does this help us be "irresistible" Christ followers? We have hope to give others when they are afraid or sad because Jesus claimed victory over something as big and scary as death.

Rusty here! So excited to share with you the wonderful things we are learning at Cedar Point. Every week is more exciting than the last. This week, our passage is:

Thessalonians 4:1-2…

“Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. 2 For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.”

To create an example of following instructions, Pastor Andrew started a game of Simon Says. It is rather confusing since his name is Andrew, but apparently when you play this game your name becomes Simon… The game was a good example of how we often look at instructions in our life. We often think that if we don’t follow the rules exactly that we are kicked out. However, God doesn’t play games. If we mess up, He gives us chances to try again. I would much rather play God Says than Simon Says, thats for sure.

God has authority, but unlike other authority figures in our life, God is perfect and never abuses that power. Instead, he gives us rules so that we can make good choices and help other people.

So this week, make sure to place both hooves above you head (like a mountain peak) and ask your kids, “what’s the Point?” Your kids should respond with, “ Love God = Obey God.” The louder the better.

Hello Friends,

It’s your favorite moose, or at least I better be. I know there is a lot of competition for that spot in Northern Idaho.

I just wanted to let you know about all the cool things happening in Cedar Point this week.

Our kids are really diving into the word, not only memorizing verses like this week’s, but learning how to find those passages.

They are also learning how to ,“ Be an example,” which is our point for this week.

Make sure to ask your kids throughout the week, “what is the point?” It is even more fun if you do the actions. Just put both hooves over your head to make a triangle, or a “point” (like the top of a mountain).

This weeks lesson comes from 1st Thessalonians 2:6, 8

“We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. 8 …so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”

What Paul, Silas and Timothy are saying is they were able to be an example because they were not concerned about human praise, but were concerned about caring for and sharing with those around them. In this case, the Thessalonians.

It is hard to be an example of Christ if we don’t really know Christ. That’s why spending time in the word is important. Reading our Bible helps us know more about Christ and His heart for others so that we, like Paul and like the Thessalonians, can be an example to those around us.

Rusty here! This is the first week of our new series, Irresistible. We’re learning how to live irresistible lives as Christ followers. What better way to kick off this series, than to jump into the book of I Thessalonians. I Thessalonians is one of my favorite books because it is filled with incredible tips and tricks on how to be a church that reflects Jesus.

Sometimes, we can feel like we don't make a difference. We are too small, insignificant or furry. (I may have been projecting on that last one). However, God assures us in this week’s passage that we can make a difference. If we are willing to follow HIM and love others, our message and impact can reach the ends of the earth.

Make sure to remind your kids that they are important and that the way they live their lives is an example to others about who Christ is.

In fact, you should asking them to tell you the point for this week.

The Point is, “The Church shows Jesus to the world!"

Here are some things to know about the passage we went over today!

(Passage posted below)

This letter was written by Paul, Silas and Timothy. They had heard of the wonderful ways the church was sharing their faith and loving those around them. So much so, that their message was spreading.

Remind your kids of the ways they can impact their community with their words and actions.

For example; I like to share what I learned at Cedar Point with the other woodland animals. I also make sure to be nice to others and share with my friends, because that shows the kindness of Jesus in me.

Last but not least, work with your kids to remember the memory verse for this series:

“ And now the word of the lord is ringing out from you to the people everywhere.”

Thessalonians 1:8

1 Thessalonians 1:6-10 New Living Translation (NLT)

6 So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. 7 As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.

8 And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it, 9 for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. 10 And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

This week was bittersweet as we ended our series, Living on the Edge. The past couple weeks we have been talking about setting limits to keep ourselves on a path that follows and glorifies Jesus. We even asked our kids to define what a limit is. Oh boy, did they do a great job answering! They used examples like, Not touching the stove when it’s hot, or doing your chores, even if you would rather play video games. We sure do have some smart kids at Cedar Point.

Our last lesson in this series comes from Daniel. A man who set good limits and was able to honor God with his entire life, even in a lions den!

If you open your Bible to the Book of Daniel, chapter 1. You will see that God put it on Daniels heart not to eat the food from King Nebekenezers’ table. Daniel could have been executed or imprisoned by refusing this food. However; he followed God’s commands and limits and was later blessed with favor from the King.

Fast Forward to Daniel, Chapter 6. Daniel is 80 years old and a law is passed, which doesn’t allow prayer to God. Daniel chooses to pray any way and is thrown into a lions den! God not only protects Daniel from the lions, he uses Daniels faithfulness to declare HIS glory and power.

Daniel is a great example of how hard it can be to make good choices and how important our choices are for our future. In Fact, that is our point for today: The choices I make today affect my choices tomorrow.

Now, Daniels situations is rather extreme, but this lesson can be applied to everyday situations, such as; You may want to play with your friends after school, but you know that it’s Important to get your homework done first. So you make the choice to do your homework first, so that you can be prepared for your lesson tomorrow.